US Mulling Additional Sanctions Against Georgia, Says Blinken
The US is evaluating new sanctions as part of its effort to back anti-government protests in Tbilisi, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Read Full Article at RT.com
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Washington retains an “ironclad” commitment to integrating the country into the EU and NATO, as stated by the Secretary of State.
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US is weighing additional sanctions against individuals in Georgia deemed responsible for the violent response to the ongoing unrest.
Pro-Western political parties in the country have been organizing nightly protests, which have resulted in clashes with police on several occasions. These protests aim to contest the results of the October elections, with claims of rigging.
Blinken accused the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi of inflicting “brutal and unjustified violence” against protesters while discussing potential new punitive measures on Wednesday. He also voiced support for the people's aspiration to join “the Euro-Atlantic family,” emphasizing that Washington’s commitment to that goal is “ironclad.”
He called for the release of detained protesters and insisted that officials should be held accountable for instances of police using excessive force unlawfully.
Incidents have been reported where protesters have fired fireworks at riot police and hurled stones, while police have responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Since mid-November, numerous injuries have occurred on both sides.
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili is among the leaders of the protest movement and has declared her intention not to resign when her term concludes later this month, asserting that the newly-elected parliament lacks the legal authority to select her successor.
On Monday, the French-born president encouraged schools to rally behind the protesters, a move that drew criticism from the influential Georgian Orthodox Church, which argued that her appeal sought to involve children in the conflict.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party has likened the situation in Georgia to Ukraine’s 2014 “Euromaidan” protests, which were a Western-supported movement leading to an armed coup. Recently, the national government announced the suspension of its EU integration process, claiming that Brussels was utilizing Tbilisi’s aspirations for political leverage.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, a high-ranking official in the Georgian Dream party, asserted that as many as 30% of the individuals participating in the protests are foreign nationals.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US is weighing additional sanctions against individuals in Georgia deemed responsible for the violent response to the ongoing unrest.
Pro-Western political parties in the country have been organizing nightly protests, which have resulted in clashes with police on several occasions. These protests aim to contest the results of the October elections, with claims of rigging.
Blinken accused the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi of inflicting “brutal and unjustified violence” against protesters while discussing potential new punitive measures on Wednesday. He also voiced support for the people's aspiration to join “the Euro-Atlantic family,” emphasizing that Washington’s commitment to that goal is “ironclad.”
He called for the release of detained protesters and insisted that officials should be held accountable for instances of police using excessive force unlawfully.
Incidents have been reported where protesters have fired fireworks at riot police and hurled stones, while police have responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Since mid-November, numerous injuries have occurred on both sides.
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili is among the leaders of the protest movement and has declared her intention not to resign when her term concludes later this month, asserting that the newly-elected parliament lacks the legal authority to select her successor.
On Monday, the French-born president encouraged schools to rally behind the protesters, a move that drew criticism from the influential Georgian Orthodox Church, which argued that her appeal sought to involve children in the conflict.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party has likened the situation in Georgia to Ukraine’s 2014 “Euromaidan” protests, which were a Western-supported movement leading to an armed coup. Recently, the national government announced the suspension of its EU integration process, claiming that Brussels was utilizing Tbilisi’s aspirations for political leverage.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, a high-ranking official in the Georgian Dream party, asserted that as many as 30% of the individuals participating in the protests are foreign nationals.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
